Heat-treating furnace



E. F. coums. I HEAT TREATING FURNACE. APPLICATION HLED FEB, 24. 1920.

Patented A9 25, 1922;

f 25 I I Fig. l.

Fig; 2;

Edg'aw F? Collins,

by fivr/r His 7 Attor neg.

UNITED TYSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR F. COLLINS, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERAL ELEC'IRXC COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0]? NEW YGRK.

HEAT-TREATING FURNACE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 25, 1922.

Application filed February 24, 1920. Serial No. 360,647.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, EDGAR F. CoLLINs, a citizen of the United States; residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Heat-'lreating Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention comprises a device for conveying materials to be heated through a heating zone while simultaneously agitating the same to secure a uniform he ating effect. My invention is of particular utility for the heat treatment of small parts such, for example, as springs halls .or fittings.

One enibodimentof my invention shown in the accon'ipanying drawingin which Fig. .l is a vertical sectional view .of a furnace and conveyor, and Fig. 2 .is a sectional view of a suitable device.

Referring to Fig. I; the furnace here illustrated consists of a container comprising a. frame 3 of suitable sheet metal enclosing a fire-hrick wall t which is lined with a layer of heat-resisting material Embedded in the brick-work of the furnace are a series of outwardly projecting supports 6 consisting of suitable refractory material upon which are mounted resistance heaters 7. A furnace of this general type is described in my prior Patent 1,310.06Qb'f Jul 15, 1919.

Within the heating zone of the. furnace are a series of containers 8. 8, 8", etc., mounted upon supports 9 in two staggered rows. the respective containers of which being so located that material from one con tainer may be discharged into the adjacent container. In the particular embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. l the containers are arranged in two sets, the containers of the respective sets being linked together by rods 10, 11.

As shown in Fig. :2 the rods 10 and 11 are connected to suitahle mechanism such as pistons l2, 13. mounted within cylinders 14, 15, and arranged to be reciprocated by! compressed air, stealm or the like. A mechanism for alternately operating the twoserics of containers will readily suggest itself. For the purpose of illustration, I have diagrammatically shown supply pipes 16,17, for conveying compressed air or steam, each containing valves 18, 19, having projecting operating mechanism for mymembers 20, 21, operated by a revolving cam :22. The revolution of the cam alternately engages with the valve stems 20, 21, to admit the compressed fluid first to one cylinder and then to the other. The pistons 12, 13 may descend b gravity exhausting the air or steaminto t 1e atmosphere through ports :23, Qwhich are arranged to open when the.

cam 22 "is not in engagement with the stems 20; 21..

The articles to he heated for example,

a charge of steel halls, are introduced into the heating Zone through a charging hopoer contain-ing a rotating member 26 so that the charge is introduced intermittently. A quantity of charge when introduced into the furnace first falls into the uppermost cohtainer RKof one of the series. lVhen the connecting rod 10 is moved upwardly, tilting the container 54 the charge is transferred into the container 8. which is just below, container 8*. The containers are then restored to the position shown in the drawmg. Vhen the rod 11 is moved upwardly the chargeis transferred from the container 25 to the container 8. An additional quantity of charge is now introduced into the container 8. 'When next the rod 10 is moved upwardly the fresh charge from the container 8" is transferred into the container 8 and the original charge now in the container 8 transferred to the container 8. While the materials are thus being transferred .fi'oiii one container to another and moved progressively through the heating zone of the furnace the charge is turned over and stirred. the materials being brought from the center to the exterior. thereby uniformly heating all parts of the charge. The materials are transferred through a chute 27 from the lowermost container 8 into a tank 28 filled with a suitable cooling. fluid 29 such as water or oil. If desired. the materials from this cooling tank may be removed by a link belt conveyer 30, or any other suitable mechanism. As the furnace is closed at its upper or charging end by the revolving door 26 and at the lower end by the liquid seal 29. a non-oxidizing or reducing atmosphere may he maintained within the heating zone.v

hat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is, e

sealing the interior of said enclosure from the atmosphere, electric resistors mounted within said enclosure for heating a charge therein, a plurality of containers therein lo-- cated-in discharge and receiving relation to each other, and means for tilting said containers to transfer a charge from one container to another thereby causing said charge to receive heat uniformly throughout.

2. A furnace COIilPIlSlHQ' a refractory enclosingenvelope, heating means therefor, and a conveyer Within said envelope comprising a plurality of separate containers and means for tilting said containers to transfer a charge to be heated from one container to another in the heating zone of said furnace.

3. A furnace comprising a heating chamher, a plurality of containers therein arranged in sets and means for simultaneously transferring materials to be heated from one set of containers to another set of containers.

4. An electric furnace comprising, a refractory enclosing container, means for electrically developing heat within said container, means for charging "materials to be heated into said container, a plurality of. sets of containers arranged in staggered relation to each other and means for operating said of containers to progressively trans fer materials to be heated through said furnace by transferring; from a container in one set to a container in another set.

A furnace comprising a refractory enclosing envelope, a charging device therefor, a plurality of containers located Within said envelope and arranged to receive material to be heated delivered by said charging device, means for tilting said containers to deliver said material from one container to another, means for discharging said material from said furnace and a liquid seal for said discharging means.

{3. A heat treating furnace comprising an enclosure having an inlet and an outlet, a charging device substantially sealing said inlet from the atmosphere, a plurality of containers in said enclosure, means for uniformly heating said containers by radiation, means for transferring a charge from one container to another, and a discharge device sealing said ou let to prevent access of air into the enclosure.

in witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of February, 1920.

I noel-in F. ooLLINs. 

